Data supplying apparatus, data processing apparatus and data communication system

ABSTRACT

A data supplying apparatus detects a change in the status of the wireless connection established with an external apparatus. When the status of the wireless connection is restored after a change has been detected in the status of the wireless connection, the data supplying apparatus transmits, to the external apparatus, a different data file from the previous data file transmitted by the wireless connection before restoration of the connection.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/988,629 which is a National Stage of PCT/JP2009/060409 filed Jun. 2,2009, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a data supplying apparatus fortransmitting/receiving data files between apparatuses by wirelesscommunication, a data processing apparatus, a data communication system,and a program.

BACKGROUND ART

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication)techniques are generally known as techniques for executing short rangewireless transfer between devices (e.g., JIS X6319-4 2005, ISO18092:2004). There is another short range wireless transfer techniquecalled “TransferJet”. These transfer techniques have a very shortcommunication range and perform control to connect devices that are toperform communication when they are brought close to each other and todisconnect the devices when they are moved away from each other.

Ordinarily, in order to print images stored in a data supplyingapparatus by transferring the images to a data output apparatus bywireless communication, the user has to perform complicated operationsincluding selecting images, and as such, there is a demand to simplifyoperations. To respond to such a demand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.2005-223518 discloses a technique for improving usability for the userby automatically transferring a plurality of image data files between animage supplying apparatus storing the plurality of image data files andan image storage apparatus in response to establishment of wirelesscommunication.

As already mentioned above, a series of operations involved in the datatransfer by the image supplying apparatus requires the user to performcomplicated operations, so there is a technical problem in thatusability is poor. In addition, the technique of Japanese PatentLaid-Open No. 2005-223518 has a technical problem in that the usercannot select image data files to be transferred because a plurality ofimage data items stored in the apparatus is transferred uponestablishment of wireless communication.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention has been conceived in view of the above problems,and according to an embodiment of the present invention, a datasupplying apparatus, a data processing apparatus and a datacommunication system are provided in which when transferring a data fileusing wireless communication established between devices, user'sintention can be reflected in selecting a data file to be transferredwith a simple operation by the user.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided adata supplying apparatus comprising: a detection means for detecting achange in the status of a wireless connection with an externalapparatus; and a transmission means for when the status of the wirelessconnection is restored after a change has been detected in the status ofthe wireless connection by the detection means, transmitting a data filethat is different from a data file transmitted by wireless connectionbefore the restoration.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of exemplary embodiments with reference to theattached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of adigital camera as a data supplying apparatus according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of aprojector as a data processing apparatus according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a datacommunication system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of an upper level connection according toEmbodiment 1.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of an upper level connection according toEmbodiments 2 to 4.

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of an upper level disconnection accordingto Embodiments 1 to 4.

FIG. 7 is a main sequence diagram according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 8 is a main sequence diagram according to Embodiment 2.

FIG. 9 is a main sequence diagram according to Embodiment 3.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for determining a contactmethod according to Embodiment 4.

FIG. 11 is a main sequence diagram according to Embodiment 4.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart used to illustrate an operation performed by adigital camera according to Embodiment 1.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart used to illustrate an operation performed by aprojector according to Embodiment 2.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Embodiment 1

In Embodiment 1, in a data communication system that employs a shortrange wireless transfer technique, a different data file from theprevious one is transferred according to the connection/disconnection ofthe short range wireless communication. The present embodiment describesan example in which image data files are used as data files to betransferred.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of adigital camera 101 (hereinafter, DSC 101) as a data supplying apparatusaccording to Embodiment 1. Here, an example is shown in which the DSC101 is used as a data supplying apparatus that holds data files andsupplies the data files by wireless communication, but the apparatusthat can be used as a data supplying apparatus is not limited thereto.

In FIG. 1, a radio data transmitter/receiver 102 establishes a wirelessconnection with an external apparatus to perform short range wirelesstransfer and notifies an application unit 107 of establishment of awireless connection, disconnection of a wireless connection, or thelike. An imaging unit 103 includes a lens optical system, an imagingelement and an A/D converter, and outputs an image obtained by capturingan object in the form of a data file. A status determination unit 104determines the operating status of various operating components of theDSC 101. In the present embodiment, the status determination unit 104detects the disconnection of a wireless connection and notifies theapplication unit 107 of the disconnection.

A display unit 105 includes a liquid crystal panel, and provides adisplay for an electronic viewfinder (EVF), displays an image data fileheld by a storage unit 106 and the like. The storage unit 106 storesimage data files output by the imaging unit 103. The application unit107 executes various controls on the DSC 101. For example, theapplication unit 107 selects an image data file to be transmitted fromthe radio data transmitter/receiver 102 based on a notification from theradio data transmitter/receiver 102 such as a notification of connectionestablishment or a notification of a disconnection.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of aprojector 201 (hereinafter, PJ 201) as a data processing apparatusaccording to Embodiment 1 that receives image data files from theabove-described data supplying apparatus. Here, an example is shown inwhich the PJ 201 is used as a data processing apparatus that receivesdata files from the data supplying apparatus, but the apparatus that canbe used as a data processing apparatus is not limited thereto.

In FIG. 2, a wireless port 202 includes a radio datatransmitter/receiver 203, and establishes a wireless connection with anexternal apparatus to perform short range wireless transfer. An imageoutput unit 204 includes a projection light source and an opticalsystem, and projects an image based on the image data files stored in astorage unit 206 onto an external screen. A status determination unit205 determines the operating status of various operating components ofthe PJ 201. The storage unit 206 stores image data files received fromthe external apparatus via the radio data transmitter/receiver 203. Anapplication unit 207 executes various controls on the PJ 201.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a data communicationsystem according to Embodiment 1. The DSC 101, the PJ 201 and thewireless port 202 have already been described above. In the presentembodiment, it is assumed that the PJ 201 is connected to the wirelessport 202, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which thewireless port 202 is incorporated in the PJ 201. The wireless port 202and the DSC 101 are capable of transferring image data files stored inthe storage unit 106 of the DSC 101 using a short range wirelesstransfer technique between the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 andthe radio data transmitter/receiver 203. The image data filestransferred to the PJ 201 are projected onto a screen 301 by the actionof the image output unit 204.

A sequence for transferring a data file performed by the datacommunication system of the present embodiment configured as describedabove will be described with reference to the sequence diagrams of FIGS.4, 6 and 7 and the flowchart of FIG. 12. In each of the sequencediagrams, DSC-App represents the application unit 107 of the DSC 101,and DSC-Network represents the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 ofthe DSC 101. Likewise, PJ-Network represents the radio datatransmitter/receiver 203 of the wireless port 202, and PJ-App representsthe application unit 207 of the PJ 201. The flowchart of FIG. 12 showsan operation performed by the application unit 107 of the DSC 101.

The following operation is performed by a user and the apparatuses whenthe user projects image data being displayed on the display unit 105 ofthe DSC 101 with the PJ 201.

First, the DSC 101 is brought to within a specified distance from thewireless port 202 (S401). Then, the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 enter aconnected status by the short range wireless transfer technique (S402).Within the respective apparatuses, the radio data transmitter/receivers102 and 203 notify the application units 107 and 207 of the connectedstatus (S403, S404). Upon receiving such a notification, each of theapplication units 107 and 207 performs an upper level connection (S405)and enters an image transferring status. As used herein, “upper levelconnection” means that an upper level protocol is logically brought intoa connected status. When the application unit 107 of the DSC 101ascertains that it has entered an image transferring status, the imagedata file being displayed on the display unit 105 of the DSC 101 istransferred from the storage unit 106 to the radio datatransmitter/receiver 102 (S406). The image data file transferred via theradio data transmitter/receiver 203 of the wireless port 202 (S407) tothe application unit 207 of the PJ 201 (S408) by the short rangewireless transfer technique is projected onto the screen 301 by theimage output unit 204 (S409).

The process performed by the application unit 107 in the above-describedsequence will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.12. First, upon receiving a notification indicating that a wirelessconnection has been established with an external apparatus from theradio data transmitter/receiver 102, the procedure advances from stepS1201 to step S1202. In step S1202, the application unit 107 performs anupper level connection with the application unit 207, and sets an imageto be transmitted. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the nthimage is to be transmitted, and n is set such that the image beingdisplayed on the display unit 105 is to be transmitted. After that, instep S1203, the application unit 107 transmits the nth image data fileto the external apparatus via the radio data transmitter/receiver 102.In the manner described above, when the DSC 101 and the wireless port202 are brought close to each other, the image being displayed on theDSC 101 is transferred to and projected by the PJ 201, and therefore animage displayed on the DSC 101 can be projected with a simple operation.

An operation as described below is performed when the user wants toproject, with the PJ 201, the next image, which comes after the imagepreviously transmitted, among the images stored in the storage unit 106of the DSC 101. As used herein, “next image” refers to an image thatcomes after the previously transmitted image in sorted order when theimage data files are sorted by a predetermined criteria (e.g., captureddate), and the corresponding image data file is referred to as the “nextimage data file”.

First, the DSC 101, which was close to the wireless port 202, is movedaway from the wireless port 202 (S701). When the DSC 101 and thewireless port 202 are moved away from each other a specified distance ormore, the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 enter a disconnected status by theshort range wireless transfer technique (S702). Within the respectiveapparatuses, the radio data transmitter/receivers 102 and 203 detect thedisconnected status, and notify the application units 107 and 207 of thedisconnected status (S703, S704). Upon receiving the notification, eachof the application units 107 and 207 activates an upper leveldisconnection timer. The value of the timer may be set in the apparatus,or may be set by the user. In the PJ 201, the application unit 207 stopsthe projection of the image in response to the notification of thedisconnected status.

When the DSC 101 is brought close to the wireless port 202 by the userbefore the upper level disconnection timers time out (S705), the DSC 101and the PJ 201 again enter a connected status (S706). Then, the radiodata transmitter/receivers 102 and 203 notify the application units 107and 207 of the connected status (S707, 708). Each of the applicationunits 107 and 207 detects that the connected status has been restoredwith the notification, and halts their respective upper leveldisconnection timer. The application unit 107 of the DSC 101 that hasreceived the notification transfers the next image data file from thestorage unit 106 to the application unit 207 of the PJ 201 (S709 toS712). The next image data file transferred to the application unit 207of the PJ 201 is projected onto the screen 301 by the image output unit204 (S713). At this time, on the DSC 101 side, it is possible to adopt aconfiguration in which the image data file that has been transmitted tothe PJ 201 is displayed on the display unit 105 of the DSC 101 (S714). Aconfiguration can also be adopted in which the projected image iscontinuously projected in the disconnected status. As described above,when the DSC 101 and the wireless port 202 are moved away from eachother, and then again brought close to each other before the timers timeout, the next image is transferred from the DSC 101 to the PJ 201, sothe projected image can be updated. With repetition of this operation bythe user, the projected image can be updated one after another with asimple operation.

When the user wants to project a previous image stored in the storageunit 106 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201, an operation as described belowis performed. As used herein, “previous image” refers to an image thatcomes before the previously transmitted image in sorted order when theimage data files are sorted by a predetermined criteria, and thecorresponding image data file is referred to as the “previous image datafile”.

First, the DSC 101, which was close to the wireless port 202, is movedaway from the wireless port 202 (S715). Then, the DSC 101 and the PJ 201enter a disconnected status by the short range wireless transfertechnique (S716). Within the respective apparatuses, a notificationindicating that the connection has been disconnected is sent to theapplication units 107 and 207 (S717, S718). Upon receiving thenotification, each of the application units 107 and 207 activates anupper level disconnection timer, and the PJ 201 stops the projection ofthe image. The operations up to here are the same as those of S701 toS704.

When the DSC 101 and the wireless port 202 are brought close to eachother by the user while depressing a particular button of the DSC 101(operating a particular operation switch) before the upper leveldisconnection timers time out (S719), the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 againenter a connected status (S720). Within the respective apparatuses, theradio data transmitter/receivers 102 and 203 notify the applicationunits 107 and 207, respectively, of the connected status (S721, S722).In response to the notification, each of the application units 107 and207 detects that the connected status has been restored, and halts theirrespective upper level disconnection timer. When the statusdetermination unit 104 detects that a particular button has beendepressed (S723), the application unit 107 of the DSC 101 that hasreceived the notification designates the previous image data file as animage to be transmitted (S724). The previous image data file istransferred from the storage unit 106 to the application unit 207 of thePJ 201 (S725 to S727). The previous image data file that has beentransferred to the application unit 207 of the PJ 201 is projected ontothe screen 301 by the image output unit 204 (S728). At this time, on theDSC 101 side, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the imagedata file that has been transmitted to the PJ 201 is displayed on thedisplay unit 105 of the DSC 101 (S729). As described above, when the DSC101 and the wireless port 202 are moved away from each other, and thenagain brought close to each other with a particular button of the DSC101 being depressed before the timers time out, the previous image istransferred from the DSC 101 to the PJ 201, so the projected image canbe updated. With repetition of this operation by the user, the projectedimage can be returned to a previous image one after another with asimple operation. Therefore, a next or previous image can be displayedwith a simple operation by simply moving the DSC 101 close to or awayfrom the wireless port 202 with or without depressing a particularbutton.

A sequence performed when the upper level disconnection timers time outwill be described with reference to FIG. 6. The processes of S601 toS604 are the same as those of S701 to S704. When the upper leveldisconnection timers activated by the application units 107 and 207 timeout (S605, S606), an upper level disconnection is performed (S607), andthe image transferring status is terminated. The application units 107and 207 each reset the settings of the image transferring status (S608,S609).

The process performed by the application unit 107 of the DSC 101 forimplementing the above sequence will be described with reference to theflowchart of FIG. 12.

Upon receiving a notification indicating that the wireless connectionhas been disconnected from the radio data transmitter/receiver 102, theapplication unit 107 determines that the status of wireless connectionhas been changed, and advances the procedure from step S1204 to stepS1205. In step S1205, the application unit 107 activates its upper leveldisconnection timer. When the application unit 107 receives anotification indicating that the wireless connection has been connectedfrom the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 before the upper leveldisconnection timer times out, the application unit 107 determines thatthe wireless connection has been restored, and advances the procedurefrom step S1206 to step S1208. Then, in step S1208, the application unit107 halts the upper level disconnection timer. In step S1209, theapplication unit 107 determines whether or not a particular button hasbeen depressed based on the reception or non-reception of a notificationfrom the status determination unit 104. When it is determined that thebutton has not been depressed, n is incremented by one by theapplication unit 107 in step S1210 so that the next image data file isselected. When, on the other hand, it is determined that the particularbutton has been depressed, n is decremented by one in step S1211 so thatthe previous image data file is selected. Then, in step S1203, theapplication unit 107 transmits the nth image data file to the PJ 201 viathe radio data transmitter/receiver 102. When the upper leveldisconnection timer times out before the restoration of the connectionis detected, the procedure advances from step S1207 to step S1212, wherethe application unit 107 releases the upper level connection and endsthe process.

The operation performed by the application unit 207 of the PJ 201 is notshown in a flowchart because it is clear from the sequence diagrams ofFIGS. 4, 6 and 7.

In the foregoing, the operation of transferring a different image datafile from the previous image data file under control of the DSCaccording to the connection/disconnection by the short range wirelesstransfer technique in the wireless image output system of the presentinvention was described, but the wireless communication that can be usedis not limited thereto, and for example, it is possible to use theconnection/disconnection by a wireless technique such as Bluetooth® orNFC.

In addition, in the foregoing description, the timing at which the nextimage/previous image is designated as an image to be transferred isafter the DSC 101 and the wireless port 202 are again brought close toeach other, but it can be when the connection is disconnected beforethey are again brought close to each other. Specifically, aconfiguration may be adopted in which the image to be transmitted whenthe DSC 101 and the wireless port 202 are again brought close to eachother can be set to either the next image or the previous imageaccording to the time during which the DSC 101 is placed on the wirelessport 202. For example, if the DSC 101 is placed on the wireless port 202for less than one second, the next image is transferred when theconnection is reconnected, and if the connection is disconnected afterthe DSC 101 is placed on the wireless port 202 for one second or more,the previous image is transferred. It is of course possible to adopt aconfiguration in which the previous image is transferred when theconnection is reconnected after the DSC 101 is placed on the wirelessport 202 for less than a specified time, and the next image istransferred when the connection is reconnected after the DSC 101 isplaced on the wireless port 202 for the specified time or more.

Furthermore, in the foregoing, a configuration was described in whichthe previous image is selected by performing a connection process whilea button is depressed, but the present invention is not limited thereto,and the button operation can be replaced by a configuration capable ofrecognizing a change in the status using a sensor or the like such as,for example, bringing the DSC 101 close to the wireless port 202 withthe DSC 101 being overturned, or brining the DSC 101 close to thewireless port 202 with increased acceleration. It is also possible toadopt a configuration in which the next image is transmitted when aconnection is established with a button being depressed, and theprevious image is transferred when a connection is established with thebutton not depressed.

As described above, according to Embodiment 1, whether or not the statusof wireless connection has been restored is determined within apredetermined time after a notification indicating that a change hasbeen detected in the status of wireless connection is received from theradio data transmitter/receiver 102 (before the upper leveldisconnection timers time out). When it is determined that the status ofwireless connection has been restored within the predetermined time,transmission control is performed such that a different data file fromthe data file transmitted by the previous wireless connection beforerestoration of the connection is transmitted. Accordingly, the imagedata outputted by the image output apparatus can be changed by the usermoving the image supplying apparatus close to or away from the imageoutput apparatus. In other words, it becomes possible to output aselected image merely with a simple operation by the user.

Embodiment 2

In Embodiment 1, on the DSC 101 side, the next image data file or theprevious image data file is determined as a data file to be transmitted.In Embodiment 2, in a system that employs a short range wirelesstransfer technique, on the PJ 201 side, the next image data file or theprevious image data file is determined as a data file to be transmittedfrom the DSC 101. The configurations of a DSC 101, a PJ 201 and a datacommunication system according to Embodiment 2 are the same as those ofEmbodiment 1 described above (FIGS. 1 to 3). Hereinafter, an operationof transferring a different image data file from the previous image datafile according to the connection/disconnection by the short rangewireless transfer technique according to Embodiment 2 will be describedwith reference to the sequence diagrams of FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 and theflowchart of FIG. 13.

When the user projects the image data being displayed on the displayunit 105 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201, an operation as described belowis performed.

First, the DSC 101 is brought to within a specified distance from thewireless port 202 (S501). Then, the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 enter aconnected status by the short range wireless transfer technique (S502).Within the respective apparatuses, the connected status is notified tothe application units 107 and 207 (S503, S504). Each of the applicationunits 107 and 207 that has received the notification performs an upperlevel connection (S505) and enters an image transferring status. Whenthe PJ 201 ascertains that it has entered the image transferring status,the PJ 201 issues a request to transfer the image data file beingdisplayed on the display unit 105 of the DSC 101 (S506 to S508). Theapplication unit 107 of the DSC 101 that has received the request totransfer the image data file transfers the image data file beingdisplayed to the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 from the storageunit 106 (S509). The image data file transferred via the radio datatransmitter/receiver 203 of the wireless port 202 (S510) to theapplication unit 207 of the PJ 201 (S511) by the short range wirelesstransfer technique is projected onto the screen 301 by the image outputunit 204 (S512).

The process performed by the application unit 207 in the above sequencewill be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 13.First, upon receiving a notification indicating that a wirelessconnection has been established with an external apparatus (DSC 101)from the radio data transmitter/receiver 203, the procedure advancesfrom step S1301 to step S1302. In step S1302, the application unit 207performs an upper level connection with the application unit 107. Then,in step S1303, the application unit 207 transmits, to the externalapparatus (DSC 101), an image transmission request that requests thetransmission of an image data file via the radio datatransmitter/receiver 203. In response to the image transmission requestfrom the PJ 201, the DSC 101 transmits the image data file currentlydisplayed on the display unit 105 to the PJ 201. In step S1304, the PJ201 receives the image data file transmitted by the DSC 101.

When the user wants to project the next image (next image data file)stored in the storage unit 106 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201, anoperation as described below is performed.

First, the DSC 101, which was close to the wireless port 202, is movedaway from the wireless port 202 (S801). When the DSC 101 and thewireless port 202 are moved away from each other a specified distance ormore, the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 enter a disconnected status by theshort range wireless transfer technique (S802). Within the respectiveapparatuses, the disconnected status is notified to the applicationunits 107 and 207 (S803, S804). Each of the application units 107 and207 that has received the notification activates their respective upperlevel disconnection timer. The value of the timer may be configured tobe preset in the apparatus, or set by the user. The PJ 201 stops theprojection of the image.

When the DSC 101 is brought close to the wireless port 202 by the userbefore the upper level disconnection timers time out (S805), the DSC 101and the PJ 201 again enter a connected status (S806). Then, the radiodata transmitter/receivers 102 and 203 notify the application units 107and 207, respectively, of the connected status (S807, S808). Theapplication unit 207 of the PJ 201 that has received the notificationissues a request to transfer the next image data file (S809 to S811).Each of the application units 107 and 207 halts their respective upperlevel disconnection timer. The application unit 107 of the DSC 101 thathas received the request to transfer the next image data file transfersthe image data file to the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 from thestorage unit 106 (S812). The image data file is transferred to theapplication unit 207 of the PJ 201 (S814) via the radio datatransmitter/receiver 203 of the wireless port 202 (S813) by the shortrange wireless transfer technique. The image data file thus transferredis projected onto the screen 301 by the image output unit 204 (S815). Atthis time, on the DSC 101 side, it is possible to adopt a configurationin which the image data file that has been transmitted to the PJ 201 isdisplayed on the display unit 105 of the DSC 101 (S816). It is alsopossible to adopt a configuration in which the projected image iscontinuously projected in the disconnected status.

On the other hand, when the user wants to project the previous imagestored in the storage unit 106 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201, anoperation as described below is performed.

First, the DSC 101, which was close to the wireless port 202, is movedaway from the wireless port 202 (S817). Then, the DSC 101 and the PJ 201enter a disconnected status by the short range wireless transfertechnique (S818). Within the respective apparatuses, the disconnectedstatus is notified to the application units 107 and 207 (S819, S820).Each of the application units 107 and 207 that has received thenotification activates their respective upper level disconnection timer,and the PJ 201 stops the projection of the image. When the DSC 101 isbrought close to the wireless port 202 by the user while depressing aparticular button of the PJ 201 before the upper level disconnectiontimers time out (S821), the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 again enter aconnected status (S822). Then, the radio data transmitter/receivers 102and 203 notify the application units 107 and 207, respectively, of theconnected status (S823, S824). Each of the application units 107 and 207halts their respective upper level disconnection timer. When the statusdetermination unit 205 detects that the button has been depressed(S825), the application unit 207 of the PJ 201 that has received thenotification issues a request to transfer the previous image data file(S826 to S828).

The application unit 107 of the DSC 101 that has received the request totransfer the previous image data file transfers the image data file fromthe storage unit 106 to the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 (S829).The image data file is transferred to the application unit 207 of the PJ201 (S831) via the radio data transmitter/receiver 203 of the wirelessport 202 (S830) by the short range wireless transfer technique. Theimage data file thus transferred is projected onto the screen 301 by theimage output unit 204 (S832). At this time, on the DSC 101 side, it ispossible to adopt a configuration in which the image data file that hasbeen transmitted to the PJ 201 is displayed on the display unit 105 ofthe DSC 101 (S833).

The sequence performed when the upper level disconnection timersactivated by the application units 107 and 207 time out is the same asthat described in Embodiment 1 (FIG. 6).

The process performed by the application unit 207 of the PJ 201 forimplementing the above sequence will be described with reference to theflowchart of FIG. 13.

Upon receiving a notification indicating that the wireless connectionhas been disconnected from the radio data transmitter/receiver 203, theapplication unit 207 determines that the status of wireless connectionhas been changed, and advances the procedure from step S1305 to stepS1306. In step S1306, the application unit 207 activates the upper leveldisconnection timer. When the application unit 207 receives anotification indicating that the wireless connection has been connectedfrom the radio data transmitter/receiver 203 before the upper leveldisconnection timer times out, the application unit 207 determines thatthe wireless connection has been restored, and advances the procedurefrom step S1307 to step S1309, where the application unit 207 halts theupper level disconnection timer. In step S1310, the application unit 207determines whether or not a particular button of the PJ 201 has beendepressed based on the reception or non-reception of a notification fromthe status determination unit 205. When it is determined that theparticular button has not been depressed, in step S1311, the applicationunit 207 transmits a next image transmission request that requests thetransmission of the next image data file to the DSC 101 via the radiodata transmitter/receiver 203. When, on the other hand, it is determinedthat the particular button has been depressed, in step S1312, theapplication unit 207 transmits a previous image transmission requestthat requests the transmission of the previous image data file to theDSC 101 via the radio data transmitter/receiver 203. Then, in stepS1304, the application unit 207 receives the image data file from theDSC 101 via the radio data transmitter/receiver 203. When the upperlevel disconnection timer times out before the restoration of theconnection is detected, the procedure advances from step S1308 to stepS1314, where the application unit 207 releases the upper levelconnection and ends the process.

The application unit 107 of the DSC 101 according to Embodiment 2transmits an image data file in response to an image transmissionrequest, a previous image transmission request or a next imagetransmission request from the PJ 201. The operation performed by theapplication unit 107 of the DSC 101 is not shown in a flowchart becauseit is clear from the sequence diagrams of FIGS. 5, 6 and 8.

In the foregoing, the operation of transferring a different image datafile from the previous image data file under control of both the DSC andthe PJ according to the connection/disconnection by the short rangewireless transfer technique in the wireless image output system of thepresent invention was described, but the wireless communication that canbe used is not limited thereto, and for example, it is possible to usethe connection/disconnection by a wireless technique such as Bluetooth®or NFC.

In addition, in the foregoing description, the timing at which the nextimage/previous image is designated as an image to be transferred isafter the DSC 101 and the wireless port 202 are again brought close toeach other, but it can be when the connection is disconnected beforethey are again brought close to each other. Specifically, aconfiguration may be adopted in which the image to be requested when theDSC 101 and the wireless port 202 are again brought close to each othercan be set to either the next image or the previous image according tothe time during which the DSC 101 is placed on the wireless port 202.

Furthermore, an instruction to select the previous image data file orthe next image data file is made by performing a connection processwhile a button is depressed, but the present invention is not limitedthereto, and the button operation can be replaced by a configurationcapable of recognizing a change in the status using a sensor or the likesuch as, for example, bringing the DSC 101 close to the wireless port202 with the DSC 101 being overturned, or brining the DSC 101 close tothe wireless port 202 with increased acceleration. It is also possibleto adopt a configuration in which the DSC 101 notifies the PJ 201 ofwhether or not a button has been depressed, and the image that the PJ201 requests the DSC 101 to transmit is changed depending on whether theDSC 101 is brought close to the wireless port 202 with or without abutton being depressed when the connection is reconnected.

Embodiment 3

In Embodiments 1 and 2, in order to select a data file to betransferred, disconnection and restoration of wireless connection areutilized as changes in the status of wireless connection, but thepresent invention is not limited thereto. In Embodiment 3, aconfiguration will be described in which an image data file to betransferred is changed according to the electric field intensity of ashort range wireless transfer technique as a change in the status ofwireless connection. The configurations of a DSC 101, a PJ 201 and adata communication system according to Embodiment 3 are the same asthose of Embodiment 1 described above (FIGS. 1 to 3). Hereinafter, anoperation according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference toFIGS. 5, 6 and 9.

The operation performed by the user to project the image data beingdisplayed on the display unit 105 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201 wasdescribed in Embodiment 2 (FIG. 5), so a description thereof is omittedhere. It is assumed in Embodiment 3 that the distance between the DSC101 and the wireless port 202 is changed within the range in which thewireless connection is not disconnected, and an electric field intensitythreshold value used to determine whether the DSC 101 is close to or farfrom the wireless port 202 is set in advance in the PJ 201.

When the user wants to project the next image stored in the storage unit106 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201, an operation as described below isperformed.

When the DSC 101, which was close to the wireless port 202, is movedaway from the wireless port 202 (S901), an electric field intensityvalue is notified by the wireless port 202, and is received by theapplication unit 207 of the PJ 201 (S902). The timing at which theelectric field intensity value is notified can be set to any timing suchas a specified interval or when there is a change in the status. Then,the status determination unit 205 of the PJ 201 compares the notifiedelectric field intensity value with the preset threshold value. When theelectric field intensity value is lower than the threshold value (S903),in order to change the status of the image output system, a status(“weak”) change message is transmitted from the application unit 207 ofthe PJ 201 to the radio data transmitter/receiver 203 of the wirelessport 202 (S904). The message is transmitted from the PJ 201 via theradio data transmitter/receivers 203 and 102 (S905) to the applicationunit 107 of the DSC 101 (S906) by the short range wireless transfertechnique.

The application unit 107 of the DSC 101 that has received the status(“weak”) change message transmits a response message to the applicationunit 207 of the PJ 201 (S907 to S909). Each of the application units 107and 207 changes their respective status, and activates their respectiveupper level disconnection timer. The value of the timer may be a fixedvalue set by the apparatus, or may be a value set by the user. The PJ201 stops the projection of the image.

When the DSC 101 is brought close to the wireless port 202 by the userbefore the upper level disconnection timers time out (S910), and anelectric field intensity value is notified to the application unit 207of the PJ 201 (S911), the status determination unit 205 of the PJ 201again compares the electric field intensity value with the thresholdvalue. When the electric field intensity value is higher than thethreshold value (S912), in order to change the status of the imageoutput system, a status (“strong”) change message is transmitted fromthe application unit 207 of the PJ 201 to the radio datatransmitter/receiver 203 of the wireless port 202 (S913). The message istransmitted via the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 of the DSC 101(S914) to the application unit 107 of the DSC 101 (S915) by the shortrange wireless transfer technique.

The application unit 107 of the DSC 101 that has received the status(“strong”) change message transmits a response message to theapplication unit 207 of the PJ 201 (S916 to S918). Thereby, each of theapplication units 107 and 207 changes their respective status, and haltsthe upper level disconnection timer. The application unit 207 of the PJ201 that has received the status (“strong”) change message issues arequest to transfer the next image data file (S919 to S921). Theapplication unit 107 of the DSC 101 that has received the request totransfer the next image data file transfers the image data file from thestorage unit 106 to the radio data transmitter/receiver 102 (S922). Theimage data file transferred via the radio data transmitter/receiver 203of the wireless port 202 (S923) to the application unit 207 of the PJ201 (S924) by the short range wireless transfer technique is projectedonto the screen 301 by the image output unit 204 (S925). At this time,on the DSC 101 side, it is possible to adopt a configuration in whichthe image data file that has been transmitted to the PJ 201 is displayedon the display unit 105 of the DSC 101 (S926). It is also possible toadopt a configuration in which the projected image is continuouslyprojected when the status of the PJ 201 is changed to “weak” status.

When the upper level disconnection timers activated by the applicationunits 107 and 207 time out (S605, S606), an upper level disconnection isperformed (S607), ending the image transferring status. The applicationunits 107 and 207 each reset the settings of the image transferringstatus (S608, S609).

The process performed by the PJ 201 for implementing the above sequenceof Embodiment 3 is shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13. However, in stepS1305, a change in the connected status is detected when the receptionelectric field intensity of the wireless connection falls below a presetthreshold value. Likewise, in step S1307, the restoration of thewireless connection is detected when the reception electric fieldintensity of the wireless connection reaches or exceeds the presetthreshold value. The operation of the DSC 101 is clear from the sequencediagrams of FIGS. 5, 6 and 9 as in Embodiment 2.

In the foregoing, the operation of transferring a different image datafile from the previous one according to the electric field intensity ofthe short range wireless transfer technique in the wireless image outputsystem of the present invention was described, but the wirelesscommunication that can be used is not limited thereto, and for example,it is possible to use a wireless technique such as Bluetooth® or NFC.

It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the previous imagedata file is transmitted from the DSC 101 by restoring the wirelessconnection while a button is depressed as in Embodiment 2. Furthermore,the button operation can be replaced by a configuration capable ofrecognizing a change in the status using a sensor or the like such as,for example, bringing the DSC 101 close to the wireless port 202 withthe DSC 101 being overturned, or bringing the DSC 101 close to thewireless port 202 with increased acceleration.

Embodiment 4

In Embodiments 1 to 3, the selection of an image data file is changed byan operation such as depressing a button. In Embodiment 4, the periodduring which the connected status of wireless connection is maintainedis measured, and the selection of an image data file is changed based onthe measured period. Furthermore, in Embodiment 4, when the PJ 201displays a previous image data file that has already been transmitted,control is performed such that the image data file stored in the PJ 201is displayed, and an image data file is not transferred from the DSC101. The configurations of a DSC 101, a PJ 201 and a data communicationsystem according to Embodiment 4 are the same as those of Embodiment 1(FIGS. 1 to 3). Hereinafter, an operation according to Embodiment 4 willbe described with reference to FIGS. 4, 6, 10 and 11.

In Embodiment 4, in order to distinguish a connection method, eachapparatus needs to determine whether the connection method is a contactmethod A or contact method B. First, a process for determining such acontact method will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.10.

When the DSC 101 and the wireless port 202 are wirelessly connected bythe short range wireless transfer technique (FIG. 4), the applicationunits 107 and 207 detect that the wireless connection has beenestablished by a notification from the radio data transmitter/receivers102 and 203, respectively (S1001). Upon detecting the establishment ofthe wireless connection, the application units 107 and 207 of theapparatuses each activate a connection timer that monitors the timeduring which the connection is maintained (S1002). It is assumed thatthe apparatuses have a common time out value. When the connection isdisconnected before the connection timers time out (S1003), theapplication units 107 and 207 of the apparatuses halt the connectiontimers (S1004) and determine that the wireless connection was a contactprocess B (S1005). When, on the other hand, the connection iscontinuously maintained and the connection timers time out (S1006), theapplication units 107 and 207 of the apparatuses determine that thewireless connection was a contact process A (S1007). At this time, it isalso possible to adopt a configuration in which the time out value canbe set by the user in advance.

An operation sequence performed by a data communication system accordingto Embodiment 4 will be described next with reference to the sequencediagrams of FIGS. 4, 6 and 11.

The operation performed by the user to project the image data beingdisplayed on the display unit 105 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201 wasdescribed in Embodiment 1 (FIG. 4), so a description thereof is omittedhere.

When the user wants to project the next image stored in the storage unit106 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201, an operation as described below isperformed.

First, the wireless connection is set to a contact process A by the usermaintaining the connected status of the wireless connection until theconnection timers time out (S1007 of FIG. 10). After that, the usermoves the DSC 101, which was close to the wireless port 202, away fromthe wireless port 202 (S1101). Then, the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 enter adisconnected status by the short range wireless transfer technique(S1102). Within the respective apparatuses, the disconnected status isnotified to each of the application units 107 and 207 (S1103, S1104).Each of the application units 107 and 207 that has received thenotification activates their respective upper level disconnection timer.The value of the timer may be configured to be preset in the apparatus,or set by the user. The PJ 201 stops the projection of the image.

When the user moves the DSC 101 close to the wireless port 202 beforethe upper level disconnection timers time out (S1105), the DSC 101 andthe PJ 201 again enter a connected status (S1106). The radio datatransmitter/receivers 102 and 203 notify the application units 107 and207, respectively, of the wireless connection (S1106 a, S1106 b). Eachof the application units 107 and 207 determines the contact process(S1107, S1108), and halts their respective upper level disconnectiontimer. The application unit 107 of the DSC 101 that has determined thatthe connection was the contact process A transfers the next image datafile from the storage unit 106 to the application unit 207 of the PJ 201(S1109 to S1112). The next image data file transferred to theapplication unit 207 of the PJ 201 is projected onto the screen 301 bythe image output unit 204 (S1113), and stored in the storage unit (206)of the PJ 201 (S1114). At this time, on the DSC 101 side, it is possibleto adopt a configuration in which the image data file that has beentransmitted to the PJ 201 is displayed on the display unit 105 of theDSC 101 (S1115). It is also possible to adopt a configuration in whichthe projected image is continuously projected in the disconnectedstatus.

When the user wants to project the previous image stored in the storageunit 106 of the DSC 101 with the PJ 201, an operation as described belowis performed.

First, the DSC 101, which was close to the wireless port 202, is movedaway from the wireless port 202 (S1116). Then, the DSC 101 and the PJ201 enter a disconnected status by the short range wireless transfertechnique (S1117). Within the respective apparatuses, the disconnectedstatus is notified to the application units 107 and 207 (S1118, S1119).Each of the application units 107 and 207 that has received thenotification activates an upper level disconnection timer, and the PJ201 stops the projection of the image.

When the user moves the DSC 101 close to the wireless port 202 using thecontact process B before the upper level disconnection timers time out(S1120), the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 again enter a connected status(S1121). The radio data transmitter/receivers 102 and 203 notify theapplication units 107 and 207, respectively, of the wireless connection(S1121 a, S1121 b). Each of the application units 107 and 207 determinesthe contact process (S1123, S1124), and halts their respective upperlevel disconnection timer. In FIG. 11, a wireless connectionnotification and a wireless disconnection notification are not shown,but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which suchnotifications are issued. The application unit 207 of the PJ 201 thathas determined that the connection was the contact process B reads theprevious image data file from the storage unit 206 (S1125), and theprevious image data file is projected onto the screen 301 by the imageoutput unit 204 (S1126).

When the wireless connection is disconnected as a result of the DSC 101being moved away from the wireless port 202, and the upper leveldisconnection timers activated by the application units 107 and 207 timeout (S605, S606), an upper level disconnection is performed (S607),ending the image transferring status. The application units 107 and 207each reset the settings of the image transferring status (S608, S609).

As described above, in Embodiment 4, when the PJ 201 displays a previousimage data file that has already been transmitted, the image data filestored in the PJ 201 is displayed, and the transfer of an image datafile from the DSC 101 is prohibited. Accordingly, unnecessary transferof an image data file between the DSC 101 and the PJ 201 can beeliminated.

In the foregoing, the operation of transferring a different image datafile from the previous image data file under control of the DSCaccording to the connection/disconnection by the short range wirelesstransfer technique in the wireless image output system of the presentinvention was described, but the wireless communication that can be usedis not limited thereto, and for example, it is possible to use theconnection/disconnection by a wireless technique such as Bluetooth® orNFC.

In Embodiment 4, a configuration is adopted in which a connection timeris provided to each of the DSC 101 and the PJ 201, each apparatusdetermines a contact process (wireless connection status) type, and whendisplaying a previous image data file, the PJ 201 obtains the data fromthe storage unit 206 of the PJ 201. However, the use of the wirelessconnection status type is not limited thereto, and it is possible to,for example, use the wireless connection status type instead ofdepressing a button when the connection is restored according toEmbodiments 1 and 2. For example, when it is applied to Embodiment 1,the branches in the process of step S1209 of FIG. 12 may be performedwith the wireless connection status type determined in the process ofFIG. 10. Likewise, when it is applied to Embodiment 2, the branches inthe process of step S1306 of FIG. 13 may be performed with the wirelessconnection status type. Needless to say, the wireless connection statustype is not limited to those shown in the above embodiment.

According to the present invention, when transferring a data file bywireless communication established between apparatuses, user's intentioncan be reflected in selecting a data file to be transferred.

The present invention is also achievable in embodiments such as asystem, an apparatus, a method, a program, or a storage medium.Specifically, it may also be applied to a system constituted by multipledevices and may also be applied to an apparatus constituted by a singledevice.

Note that the case where the functionality of the abovementionedembodiment is achieved by directly or remotely supplying a softwareprogram to a system or device and reading out and executing the suppliedprogram code through a computer in the system or device is included inthe scope of the present invention. In this case, the supplied programis a computer program that corresponds to the flowchart indicated in thedrawings in the embodiment.

Accordingly, the program code itself, installed in a computer so as torealize the functional processing of the present invention through acomputer, also realizes the present invention. In other words, thecomputer program itself, for realizing the functional processing of thepresent invention, is also included within the scope of the presentinvention.

In this case, object code, a program executed through an interpreter,script data supplied to an OS, or the like may be used, as long as ithas the functions of the program.

Examples of the a computer readable storage medium that can be used tosupply the computer program include Floppy® disks, hard disks, opticaldisks, magneto-optical disks, MOs, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetictape, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and DVDs (DVD-ROMs, DVD-Rs).

Using a browser of a client computer to connect to an Internet homepageand downloading the computer program of the present invention to astorage medium such as a hard disk can be given as another method forsupplying the program. In this case, the downloaded program may be acompressed file including a function for automatic installation.Furthermore, this method may be realized by dividing the program codethat makes up the program of the present invention into a plurality offiles and downloading each file from different homepages. In otherwords, a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download theprogram files for realizing the functional processing of the presentinvention through a computer also falls within the scope of the presentinvention.

Furthermore, the program of the present invention may be encrypted,stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and distributed to users.In this case, a user that has cleared a predetermined condition isallowed to download key information for removing the cryptography from ahomepage via the Internet, use the key information to decrypt theprogram, and install the program on a computer.

Also, the functions of the present embodiment may be realized, inaddition to through the execution of a loaded program using a computer,through cooperation with an OS or the like running on the computer basedon instructions of the program. In this case, the OS or the likeperforms part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of theabove-described embodiment are realized by that processing.

Furthermore, part or all of the functionality of the aforementionedembodiment may be written into a memory provided in a function expansionboard installed in the computer, a function expansion unit connected tothe computer, or the like, into which the program read out from thestorage medium is written. In this case, after the program has beenwritten into the function expansion board or the function expansionunit, a CPU or the like included in the function expansion board or thefunction expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processingbased on the instructions of the program.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of thefollowing claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent structures andfunctions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2008-171243, filed Jun. 30, 1008, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A communication apparatus comprising: a detection unit configured to detect that a short range wireless connection with an external device is established in response to a change of distance between the communication apparatus and the external device; a transmission unit configured to transmit, in a case where the detection unit detects that the short range wireless connection with the external device is established while first image is being displayed on a display unit, image data, which is specified based on the first image data that was displayed at the time of detection by the detection unit, to the external device, wherein the transmission unit starts transmitting the image data without receiving a user's operation after the detection unit detects that the short range wireless connection is established; and a display control unit configured to control, according to the transmission by the transmission unit, the display unit to change a display.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects that a reception electric field intensity of the short range wireless connection has exceeded a preset threshold value.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image is an image that is displayed when a first short range wireless connection is established, and wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to change a display to a display of a second image from a display of the first image, in a case where the detection unit detects that a second short range wireless connection is established after disconnection of the first short range wireless connection.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the range wireless connections are a wireless connection with the external apparatus using NFC.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the image data to be displayed on the display unit.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits other image data in a case where the detection unit detects that a short range wireless connection with an external device is established after transmitting the image data.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a capturing unit configured to capture an image, wherein the image data is data indicating an image captured by the capturing unit.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the transmission unit is configured to transmit image data indicating the first image data or image data indicating a second image, wherein the second image is captured by the capturing unit next to the first image.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transmission unit is configured to transmit image data indicating the first image or image data indicating a second image, wherein the second image is next image to the first image in an order according to a predetermined rule.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine a status of a predetermined operation part of the communication apparatus when the short range wireless connection is established, wherein the transmission unit transmits, to the external device, second image data different from the first image data, in a case where the detection unit detects the short range wireless connection is established while the predetermined operation part is being operated by a user.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein display control unit is configured to control, according to the transmission by the transmission unit, the display unit to change a display to a display of a second image indicated by the image data transmitted by the transmission unit from a display of the first image.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine a status of a predetermined operation part of the communication apparatus when the short range wireless connection is established, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to change a display from a display of the first image to a display of third image different from the second image, in a case where the detection unit detects the short range wireless connection is established while the predetermined operation part is being operated by a user.
 13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a measurement unit configured to measure a period during which a short range wireless connection is in the connected status; wherein, in a case where the period during which the short range wireless connection is in the connected status measured by the measurement unit is larger than a preset threshold value, the display control unit controls the display unit to display third image different from the second image.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transmission unit is configured to transmit, in a case where the detection unit detects that a first short range wireless connection with the external device is established while the first image is being displayed on the display unit, image data indicating the first image to the external device, and to transmit, in a case where the detection unit detects that a second short range wireless connection with the external device is established while the first image is being displayed on the display unit after the first short range wireless connection is disconnected, image data indicating a second image to the external device.
 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the display control unit is configured to control, in a case where the detection unit detects that the first short range wireless connection and the transmission unit transmits the image data indicating the first image to the external device, the display unit not to change a display, and control, in a case where the detection unit detects that the second short range wireless connection and the transmission unit transmits the image data indicating the second image to the external device, the display unit to change a display.
 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the display control unit is configured to control, in a case where the detection unit detects that the second short range wireless connection and the transmission unit transmits the image data indicating the second image to the external device, the display unit to change a display to a display of the second image from a display of the first image.
 17. A communication method comprising the steps of: detecting that a short range wireless connection with an external device is established in response to a change or distance between the communication apparatus and the external device; transmitting, in a case where it is detected in the detecting step that the short range wireless connection with the external device is established while first image is being displayed on a display unit, image data, which is specified based on the first image data that was displayed at the time of detection by the detecting step, to the external device, wherein, in the transmitting step, transmitting the image data starts without receiving a user's operation after it is detected in the detecting step that the short range wireless connection is established; controlling, in a case where the detection unit detects that the short range wireless connection with the external device is established or disconnected while first data is being displayed, a display unit to change a display to a display of second data from a display of the first data.
 18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a communication method according to claim
 17. 